The northeast corridor area (roughly the region encompassing the northeast quandrant of I-465 and stretching outward along I-69 and SR 37) has experienced the fastest population and traffic growth in the Indianapolis area and is currently the one place where Indianapolis roadways exhibit legitimate traffic congestion. Traffic volumes on I-465 are (on a cars per lane basis) the highest in the state, and stop and go traffic at rush hour is routine at many points.
In a sense, the northeast corridor area is the worst place in the region for such high growth rates. I-69 (a six lane interstate) essentially dead ends into I-465. It was originally proposed to be extened to downtown as six lane I-165 (terminating in a cloverleaf at the north I-65/I-70 split). Due to neighborhood opposition, this route was cancelled and there is essentially no possibility of it being resurrected. Also, many of the interchanges in the area were designed as very low capacity simple diamonds, which have become extremely overloaded in the 1990's.
In response to rapidly growing traffic in the region, INDOT commissioned the Corradino Group to conduct a Major Investment Study (MIS) of the corridor. The study scope included I-465 from Keystone Ave. to I-69, I-69 from I-465 to SR 238, and SR 37 from I-69 to north of Noblesville. This study is commonly referred to as the "I-69 / SR 37 Corridor Study".
The study was plagued with problems from the start. Apparently the Corradino Group project manager quit (or was fired) and a new one was assigned, creating confusion. While the study stretched on for years - it would eventually take four years to complete - local officials were left in the dark. The Corradino study team did an initial survey of local politicians and promised a great deal of public participation, but apparently they did not do a very good job of following through.
Then in 1996, a public meeting was held where the Corradino Group outlined their plans for the corridor. They recommended a massive highway improvement including widening I-69 to 14 lanes and SR 37 (a four lane limited access arterial) to a 10 lane freeway. The proposal would cost in excess of $600 million and require many relocations.
People were quite taken aback by this proposal. (You can my response (25K text) if you would like). Most local officials and residents were very unhappy with this plan. However, their input was not taken into account in the final design.
Thanks to a generous person at INDOT, I recently received a copy of the I-69 / SR 37 final report. This report proposed improvements with the following general design elements:
The 14 lanes on I-69 with a local/express setup sounds remarkably similar to the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/I-94) in Chicago. So that route should give some indication of what the proposed road will look like.
While the corridor study counted as a Major Investment Study, nobody locally was happy with it. The City of Indianapolis went back to the drawing board with a new EIS focusing on congestion relief in the northeast corridor. This study was called Connections and was done under the auspices of the Federal Transit Administration. Its original purpose was really to justify light rail, but it turned into a more expansive study.
Ironically, the light rail option bogged down once the new Peterson administration took over in Indianapolis. The highway option remained alive and well. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published with a variety of highway and rail options. The steering committee for the project recommended that a highway expansion option be pursued while remanding the light rail option to further study.
The recommended improvements were basically the H5 alternative, including:
This is essentially the configuration I have long advocated, with the exception that I would most likely not expand I-70 and scale back the I-69 improvments a bit. Also, the SR 37 configuration seems like an afterthought. I would probably recommend upgrading that route to a six lane freeway from I-69 to SR 32 in Noblesville. It appears that the recommendations for SR 37 do not include making that route a freeway.
So what will actually get built? A good question. This project will doubtless be very costly. The Indianapolis long range transportation plan has not been updated to reflect the study recommendations. In the meantime, INDOT is moving forward with some improvements. In 2000 it spent $35 million on a pavement replacement project near 56th St. This project replaced a couple overhead bridges with spans that would accomodate five lanes in each direction. In 2002 it will conclude the first phase of a $67 million makeover of the I-465/I-70 East interchange. (See INDOT's web site for this project). This project replaces the I-465 pavement south of where the 56th St. project left off, replaces two more overhead spans at 16th and 38th Sts. to provide additional horizontal clearance, and improves the interchange itself by making the ramp from EB I-70 to NB I-465 to three lanes and replacing the SB I-465 to EB I-70 loop ramp with a new flyover ramp. Auxiliary lanes will be added between I-70 and Pendleton Pike.
INDOT is already planning Phase 2 of the 56th St. project, which will replace the 56th St. bridge over I-465, modify the interchange to remove two loop ramps, and replace pavement/widen the collector/distributor system. My impression is that auxiliary lanes will be added south to Pendleton Pike and north to I-69, essentially making this route eight lanes from I-70 to I-69.
INDOT is also planning a second phase of the I-70 interchange project. This will relocate and add lanes to the ramp from WB I-70 to NB I-465 and add even more new lanes to I-465 north of the interchange. This project is pending right of way acquisition and may be a ways off.
No other specific improvements are planned. IMO, INDOT should do something to address the Allisonville Rd. interchange in the near term as this is the worst interchange in the Indianapolis freeway system.
Last Updated: March 2002
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